Wireless address and street name locator

ABSTRACT

A system ( 10 ) for viewing location marker data on a display ( 14 ) located in a vehicle ( 16 ) has a transponder ( 20 ) located on a structure ( 18 ) and a transmitter ( 22 ) located on the vehicle, which transmits a first signal ( 24 ). The transponder receives the first signal and transmits a second signal ( 26 ) with a first identification tag. A receiver ( 28 ) in the vehicle receives the second signal. A microprocessor ( 30 ) in the vehicle interprets the first identification tag and displays location marker data corresponding to the first identification tag on the display.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of application Ser. No. 11/079,869filed Mar. 14, 2005.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a system for viewing location markers, andmore particularly to a wireless system for viewing house numbers andstreet names displayed within a motor vehicle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is difficult for many people to view street signs and house numbersfrom a distance. Darkness and inclement weather conditions canexacerbate the problem. Failure to read street signs or addresses cancause traffic delays, and in some cases, automobile accidents as driversslow or stop while trying to read street signs and numbers. Otherdrivers must swerve to avoid the stopped car, or wait until the stoppedcar turns or moves on.

Inability to read location information is a significant problem for theelderly, whose visual acuity and night vision declines with age. It istherefore important for the safety and comfort of these and otherdrivers to provide a system whereby they can view street signssufficiently in advance of intersections to prepare for a turn or changelanes. It is also important to see house numbers so that drivers canreadily locate the address that they are seeking without stopping thecar and walking to the house.

There have been several attempts to solve traffic related problems withadvanced technology. Technology using Global Positioning Satellites(GPS) provides current location to drivers of vehicles having the GPSsystem, but these devices are relatively expensive. For example, U.S.Pat. No. 6,411,896 discloses a system to warn drivers of slow movingtraffic and other traffic related problems. U.S. Pat. No. 6,405,126discloses a system to preprogram destination information using magneticstrips on cards or radio transmissions. U.S. Pat. No. 6,278,936discloses a data manager, which monitors vehicle location and transmitslocation information to vehicles on request. This data manager notifiesthe vehicle when it is within a specified distance of the destination.It also allows a user to monitor the progress of the vehicle headedtoward the location. U.S. Pat. No. 6,560,529 discloses patternrecognition apparatus for reading road sign text in order to providethis information to a navigational system such as a GPS system. U.S.Pat. No. 6,836,724 discloses the use of a geographic database to reportinformation about nearby road signs to a driver upon request, againfollowing the overall GPS model. While such systems may be useful forproviding information that helps the traveler to find a destination,they can require fairly elaborate equipment for solving the problem oflocating a nearby street or building.

It is desirable to have an accurate, reliable, and inexpensive systemwhereby drivers of vehicles can easily determine street address numbersand street names during periods of reduced visibility or inclementweather without leaving their vehicles.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Briefly, according to one aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a system for viewing location marker data on a display locatedin a vehicle comprising:

-   -   a transponder located on a structure;    -   a transmitter located on the vehicle which transmits a first        signal;    -   wherein the transponder receives the first signal and transmits        a    -   second signal with a first identification tag;    -   a receiver in the vehicle which receives the second signal; and    -   a microprocessor in the vehicle which interprets the first    -   identification tag and displays location marker data    -   corresponding to the first identification tag on the display.

According to another embodiment of the invention, street name, streetnumber, or other information is transmitted only upon authentication ofthe motor vehicle.

The present invention creates a locating system that is both quick andreliable. Using advances in technology that allow the transfer ofinformation onto computer screens or other types of display, the age oldproblem of straining to see street signs or street address numbers iseliminated. Most importantly, this invention constitutes a significantadvance in safety and will reduce the risk of vehicular accident fordrivers searching for a destination.

The invention and its objects and advantages will become more apparentin the detailed description of the preferred embodiment presented below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a system according to the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of another embodiment of the presentinvention for identifying streets, intersections, and the like.

FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram of an alternate embodiment in whichsecurity features are provided.

FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram of an alternate embodiment in whicha commercial establishment provides additional information.

FIG. 5 is a schematic block diagram of an alternate embodiment in whichthe information transfer from the motor vehicle is of particularimportance to a building occupant.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following description is directed in particular to elements formingpart of, or in cooperation more directly with the system in accordancewith the present invention. It is to be understood that elements notspecifically shown or described may take various forms well known tothose skilled in the art.

The apparatus of the present invention allows data to be encoded andstored at various location markers along a roadway. Location markers canbe, for example, street addresses, street names, and roadway signs forlandmarks. The apparatus of the present invention allows various typesof location marker data to be displayed within a motor vehicle, whereinthe location marker data itself is location-specific information that isobtained from a nearby site. This location-specific information, termed“location marker data” in the description that follows, includesinformation such as a street address or street name, for example, andmay include other location-related information as well.

Referring to FIG. 1 a system 10 is shown for viewing the streetaddresses 12 of a nearby building 18 on a display 14 located in a motorvehicle 16. A transponder 20 is located on building 18 and a transmitter22 is located in motor vehicle 16. Transmitter 22 transmits a firstsignal 24 and transponder 20 receives first signal 24 and transmits asecond signal 26 with a first identification tag. A receiver 28 in motorvehicle 16 receives second signal 26 and a microprocessor 30 in thevehicle interprets the first identification tag and displays a streetaddress or other location marker data corresponding to the firstidentification tag on display 14.

The first identification tag may include other information in additionto street address data. For example, a name of one or more residents ofbuilding 18 may be provided, depending on information the owner oroccupant of building 18 chooses to incorporate in the identification tagreturned by transponder 20. In the case of a commercial building thefirst identification tag may include a name of one or more businesseslocated in building 18 along with other information. In the case of aprivate residence, the homeowner may choose to include the names of theindividuals residing at that address.

In another embodiment, shown in FIG. 3, first signal 24 from transmitter22 comprises a second identification tag that includes vehicleidentification information about motor vehicle 16. This secondidentification tag provides information to the owner of building 18about motor vehicle 16, which is displayed on a display monitor 32. Theowner of building 18 may program transponder 20 to transmit address,other information, or both, only to a select group of individuals or toowners of certain motor vehicles 16. In this case, address and otherinformation is only transmitted back to motor vehicle 16 followingauthentication of the second identification tag. The informationrelative to building 18 or its occupants may be released according to amanual entry, at the discretion of a home owner, for example, or may beprogrammed in an automated system serving the home owners or otheroccupant of building 18.

FIG. 5 shows another embodiment, in which transmitter 22 and receiver 28are installed at building 18 and transponder 22 is installed at motorvehicle 16. Here, transmitter 22 sends out first signal 24 to elicit theresponse of second signal 26 from motor vehicle 16. Transmission may beinitiated by a building occupant or may be automatically initiated, suchas in response to a security system sensor, for example. This alternatearrangement could be used for sites where the identity of occupants ofmotor vehicle 16 is particularly important. Microprocessor 30 is alsoinstalled at building 18.

In yet another embodiment, an announcing subsystem 34 on or insidebuilding 18 announces arrival of motor vehicle 16. If the secondidentification tag includes information on the occupants of motorvehicle 16 or on the vehicle owner, this information may also beincluded in the announcement.

In the case of a commercial building, as shown in FIG. 4, the firstidentification tag may also contain additional information for viewingon the vehicle's display 14. For example, the first identification tagmay include the name of building 18, products sold at building 18,prices of products sold at building 18, and one or more phone number(s)for building 18 occupants or businesses. Other information may also beincluded in the information of the first identification tag.

FIGS. 1, 3, and 4 show transponder 20 located on building 18 as one typeof structure. In yet another embodiment of the invention, shown in FIG.2, transponder 20 is located on a different type of structure. Here,transponder 20 is located on a street sign 42 or other type of road signand transmitter 22 is located on motor vehicle 16. Transmitter 22 sendsfirst signal 24 and transponder 20 receives the first signal and sends asecond signal 26 in response, with a first identification tag. Receiver28 on motor vehicle 16 receives the second signal; and microprocessor 30interprets the first identification tag and displays, on display 14,street name 40 or other road sign-related information corresponding tothe first identification tag.

In addition to street name 40, the first identification tag may containadditional location marker data, such as city name, county name, ordirections to service areas or emergency facilities such as hospitals,for example. Motor vehicle 16 may transmit a second identification tagas discussed above, which includes vehicle information or informationabout the owner of motor vehicle 16. This information may be recordedfor security purposes, or some or all components of the availableinformation may be restricted for transmission to only authorizedindividuals. For example, in a private community, street nameinformation, or some other data, may be restricted to permittransmission only to motor vehicles 16 owned by residents of the privatecommunity.

In another embodiment, system 10 also includes information on theidentity of one or more occupants of motor vehicle 16. For example, somevehicle prototypes incorporate biometric data and use this data to allowonly certain individuals to start the vehicle. Thus, information aboutthe individual who is driving motor vehicle 16 may be transmitted tobuilding 18, in addition to, or in lieu of information about motorvehicle 16. The name of the registered owner of the vehicle may also betransmitted. Information about the individual or about the driver ofmotor vehicle 16 may be used to provide other security functions, suchas access to garage or parking areas.

Display 14 within motor vehicle 16 may be any of a number of types ofgraphic display suitable for showing address numbers and otherinformation. Display 14 may employ emissive components, such as lightemitting diodes (LEDs) or organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) forexample. Display 14 could also be a liquid crystal device (LCD). Display14 could be portable or could be mounted on the dashboard of motorvehicle 16 or could be mounted at some other suitable location for easyviewing of reported information. In one embodiment, display 14 is a“heads-up” display (HUD) that displays information on the windshielditself, without obscuring the driver's view of the road. Examples ofheads-up displays adapted for automotive use include those provided byDelphi Delco Electronics Systems, Kokomo, Ind.

There are a number of options for embodiments of the wirelesscommunication components, that is, of transponder 20, transmitter 22,and receiver 28. These components could be dedicated devices or coulduse wireless communication devices already installed in motor vehicle 16and used for other purposes. For example, the type of intermediate-rangetransponder apparatus currently used in trucking industry applicationsfor inventory or for weighs or toll stations could be used. Thetransponder could also be a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag.Transmitter 22 and receiver 28 could be packaged into a singletransceiver module. Microprocessor 30 could be any of a number of typesof dedicated processors; alternately, the logic functions ofmicroprocessor 30 could be performed by software running on a controllogic processor that also performs other functions within motor vehicle16 or within building 18. Response information provided in first andsecond identification tags may be encoded at transmitter 22 andtransponder 20 apparatus, using message-encoding techniques familiar tothose skilled in the wireless communications arts.

In addition to homeowners, businesses may find system 10 of the presentinvention to be particularly helpful. A customer may be searching for aparticular place of business or may be searching for a particular typeof business establishment. For example, a customer may be interested infinding a suitable nearby restaurant anywhere along the road ahead. Insuch a case, the content of first signal 24 from transmitter 22 would beencoded to indicate this interest. Transponders 20 at restaurants wouldrespond to first signal 24, as described for the embodiment of FIG. 1above; on the other hand, transponders 20 for bowling alleys or gasstations would ignore first signal 24 having such an encoding. Thiswould extraneous information appearing on the automobile display.

A business adapting the present invention could also provide varioussupplementary data about the business in the response content of firstidentification tag. For example, a restaurant may provide a messageabout menu specials, serving hours, wine list, etc. First identificationtag could include a hypertext link to a universal resource locator (URL)that gives additional information about the business. This would enablea vehicle occupant to access a web page giving more information about abusiness.

In general, the present invention utilizes wireless two-waycommunication between a device located on a motor vehicle and a devicelocated on a stationary structure, such as building 18, street sign 42,or some other road sign such as an informational sign or a landmark.Unlike GPS and similar systems that use external reference points forobtaining location information, the system of the present inventionobtains information encoded specifically about a structure, or about amotor vehicle, or its occupants, directly from the source.

The apparatus of the present invention would be compatible for workingin conjunction with other automated mapping tools becoming available totoday's automobile driver. For example, a display component serving anin-car GPS mapping system could be adapted to serve as display 14 forsystem 10 of the present invention.

Various operational controls could be provided to users of system 10,allowing it to be adapted to the needs of those in motor vehicle 16. Forexample, one type of control would confine transmission broadcast bytransmitter 22 to one side of the street, useful for environments suchas a divided highway. Distance adjustments may help narrow the range ofresponding locations to transmissions from transmitter 22.

In another embodiment, system 10 provides voice enablement. Numericaddresses or key words spoken by those in motor vehicle 16 enablevarious transmission and search functions controlled by microprocessor30. In addition, audible response may provided to augment display ofaddress and other information, or in lieu of visual display.

Additional embodiments not specifically discussed are included withinthe scope of this invention. One feature that could be readily used withthe system of the present invention is a distance-detection feature.Using this feature, for example, display 14 may show the distance tobuilding 18. Alternatively, display monitor 32 in building 18 may showthe distance to motor vehicle 16 as it approaches. Microprocessor 30 maybe any of a number of types of control logic components that areprogrammable for control of the various devices used for informationtransmission, reception, and decoding. This could also include softwareexecuting on personal computers or computer workstations.

The invention has been described in detail with particular reference tocertain preferred embodiments thereof, but it will be understood thatvariations and modifications can be effected within the scope of theinvention.

PARTS LIST

-   10 system for viewing street addresses-   12 number on the building-   14 display-   16 motor vehicle-   18 building-   20 transponder-   22 transmitter-   24 first signal-   26 second signal-   28 receiver-   30 microprocessor-   32 monitor-   34 announcing subsystem-   40 street name-   42 street sign

1. A system for viewing location marker data on a display located in avehicle comprising: a transponder located on a structure; a transmitterlocated on said vehicle which transmits a first signal; wherein saidtransponder receives said first signal and transmits a second signalwith a first identification tag; a receiver in said vehicle whichreceives said second signal; and a microprocessor in said vehicle whichinterprets said first identification tag and displays location markerdata corresponding to said first identification tag on said display. 2.A system for viewing location marker data as in claim 1 wherein saidfirst signal comprises a second identification tag.
 3. A system forviewing location marker data as in claim 2 wherein said secondidentification tag comprises vehicle identification information.
 4. Asystem for viewing location marker data as in claim 3 wherein saidtransponder transmits said second signal only on authentication of saidsecond identification tag.
 5. A system for viewing location marker dataas in claim 1 wherein the display shows a distance to said structure. 6.A system for viewing location marker data as in claim 1 wherein thestructure is a street sign.
 7. A system for viewing location marker dataas in claim 6 wherein said second signal contains additional informationselected from a group comprising city name, county name, and directionsto a location.
 8. A system for obtaining information about a vehicleapproaching a building comprising: a transmitter located on saidbuilding which transmits a first signal; a transponder located in saidvehicle; wherein said transponder receives said first signal andtransmits a second signal with a first identification tag; a receiver insaid building which receives said second signal; and a microprocessor insaid building which interprets said first identification tag anddisplays vehicle information corresponding to said first identificationtag on a display.
 9. A system for identifying vehicles as in claim 8wherein said transmitter and said receiver are in a single unit.
 10. Asystem for identifying vehicles as in claim 8 wherein said firstidentification tag comprises a name of an owner of said vehicle.
 11. Asystem for identifying vehicles as in claim 8 wherein said firstidentification tag comprises a name of at least one occupant of saidvehicle.
 12. A system for identifying vehicles as in claim 8 wherein thedisplay displays a distance to said vehicle.
 13. A system for viewinglocation marker data as in claim 1 wherein the display appears on awindshield of the vehicle.
 14. A system for viewing location marker dataas in claim 1 wherein the first identification tag comprises a link to aURL.
 15. A system for viewing location marker data as in claim 1 whereinthe transponder comprises a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag.16. A system for viewing location marker data as in claim 1 wherein thedisplay comprises visual information, audio information, or both.
 17. Asystem for viewing location marker data as in claim 8 wherein firstidentification tag comprises vehicle driver identification based onbiometric sensors in said vehicle.